Good Intentions
by mysteryteenagelover
Summary: Alex does everything possible to find and resuce Jane Doe/Ava/Shannon/Rebecca after she vanishes. Everything and anything. Some AlexIzzie, mostly AlexAva. 8th and final chapter up - rating only changed to M for last chapter! Can be persuaded to extend...
1. Chapter 1

'I like the suit. Better than the scrubs.' Alex laughed as Ava looked up at him.

'Hey, uh…I passed my intern exam.'

'Good, that's good.' Alex laughed, and then looked up at her. She looked preoccupied.

'We got discharged, me and the baby.'

'Oh, come on, you're still – you're still on antibiotics.'

'It's been signed off on by plastics, cardio, orthopaedics and PB. Also my teeth, got the blessing from, wait – I can say this…Prosthodontics.'

'Yeah, but there's still your memory.'

'You know how I know my memory's fine? Because I can say 'Prosthodontics'.'

'Yeah, but the baby?'

'Discharged. By PBs.'

'Yeah, but…'

Ava sighed, turned, and walked across the room, brushing her shoulder passed him, shutting the door with a click, and then turned to face him. She took a deep breath.

'I have every reason to go. I mean, yeah, this is scary and yeah, this is moving a warp speed, and yeah, I'm freaking out, but Paul…is good. And Paul is the father of my child, and the man is out buying…a car seat, right now. And…and the minute he gets back…' She shook her head, and swallowed. 'I have every reason to go, because medically…there's no reason for me to stay. Medically.'

'Oh… Yeah. OK. Well, then I'll just check the chart, we'll see what – I might, ah -' He turned away from her, and put his hand to the folder, while Ava shook her head.

'Damnit!' she nearly yelled. Alex looked up, slightly shocked.

'What?' He seemed almost hostile.

'Do I…I mean, I mean…do I… Do I have to spell everything out for you, I mean, did you sniff too much glue – as a child – I'm _asking_ you something here.' He looked up again.

'What do you want from me?'

'I want…I want you to give me a reason to say,' she looked down, and then straight into his eyes, 'A real reason. I mean, Paul's a decent guy, a good decent guy, but to him, I'm Rebecca and I don't know if I am Rebecca…anymore. You knew me; you knew when I couldn't even speak who I was. You named me Ava, and I was more me – as Ava – than I'll ever be as Rebecca. And look, I – I have every reason to go back to my life, and I will, unless…you…Alex , I'm asking you to give me a reason to stay here. A reason…from you.'

Alex looked down. 'Paul loves you, he's a decent guy –'

'Alex, give me a reason.'

He walked over to stand in front of her, and there were tears in her eyes as she smiled.

'I think you should stay with the decent guy.' Ava half-laughed as she let out a sob. Alex looked down, and stepped around her to leave to room as she wiped the tears from her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

'Pope. Rebecca. In the mountains somewhere…' Why had he waited this long?

'I'm sorry, sir, there are over a thousand listings for the surname 'Pope' in this country. Perhaps you have a street name…a state even…'

'Could you just look for the initials P and R?'

'Yes sir. Ah…that narrows it down to around two hundred. Do you have anymore –'

'No!' snapped Alex, and slammed down the phone. It was his fault, and he knew it. He should have grabbed her with both hands and held on tight while he still could have. While she was considering leaving her husband. But now it was too late, and all that was left was an image lingering in the air that disturbed him every time he happened to pass room 2115. He picked up the phone again, and tried a different connection service.

'Pope. P and R. Mountain village. And –'

'Karev!' Burke's tall shadow fell over the nurse's station, 'Go home! Now, you've exceeded your eighty hour week limit as it is, and it's only Thursday. Go!'

'But sir, I –'

'Karev, go.'

Alex heavily got to his feet. He couldn't go home. Izzie was at home. And he couldn't be around Izzie. She was finally moving on, trying to get over Denny. Alex felt both frustrated and aroused when she was around. She had left him for a man that had a heart that probably wouldn't have see him through another year. That had stung. Hard. And now, she was over Denny, and she still didn't want him. That also hurt. He wanted her. At least, he had until Ava had left and he had realised. What exactly, he didn't know. A lot. Alex hadn't had sex for a long time. He couldn't, even though Olivia had offered, countless times. He couldn't, not when he still held a torch for Jane Doe, or Ava, or Shannon for that short period of time when he really did feel he was about to lose her, and now Rebecca, or whoever she wanted to call herself. For the first time in his life, Alex Karev felt more than just a want, more than just a lust for a woman. He felt something deeper, and that scared him. He felt – well, he couldn't place it, but it felt a lot like what other people called…well…love.

'Karev! Leave!' Burke had come up to him while he had been standing at the door of the room he now recognised to be 2115, trying to sort through his thoughts.

'Sorry, sir,' Alex muttered, turning on his heel and stalking off towards the car park.

'Hey,' came the calls of George, Izzie and Meredith. He grunted in reply and started up the stairs. A small hand caught his, and he turned. It was Izzie. Oh no. Her pretty face was twisted in concern, blonde hair falling in curls across her forehead and framing her face.

'What is it?' she asked him gently, once they had reached his door at the top of the stairs.

'It's nothing. Just – a hard day…lost a patient who coded less than an hour after heart surgery, and then…' He trailed off, but Izzie's eyes were still full of sympathy and worry for him.

'I've never known you to be one to worry about things like that. I mean…' she faltered, looking at him anxiously.

'Right. I'm the ass who doesn't care when he's lost a patient. Right. Forgot that one.' The door slammed behind him, and he leant against it, chest rising and falling. He took out his cell and threw it across the room. The message from USAconnect that "regretted to inform him that they could not help him with his request at this time" zapped into blackness as the metal struck the floor and spread into a hundred pieces. Bits of plastic skittered under the bed, towards the pile of discarded clothes and one slid under the door.

Why didn't he chase Rebecca the night of Burke and Christina's wedding? He couldn't admit it, even to himself, up till now. He was scared. Scared of the intensity of his feelings, afraid of showing too much, of letting himself experience the waves of longing. So he had turned his back. Convinced himself that it was best for her, and for him. Let her go back to her husband. The one they both knew she didn't love. And they knew it well.

He sat down on his bed, rage gone, cool, calculated thinking overtaking the anger. He closed his eyes. He imagined her sliding her warm little fingers into his calloused palms, imagined that her other hand was resting on his chest. Pretended that he laid a hand on the small of her back and was pulling her to him, their bodies connected, warm and comforting. That she placed both hands on his cheeks and lowered his face to her. That her lips pressed warmly against his mouth, tongue flickering across his lower lip, a smile tugging at her features.

Alex Karev suddenly sat up. Of course! She had been a patient at the hospital. So when she had suddenly retrieved her memories, and her husband had filled out her discharge papers, he would have provided an emergency contact number! And that person would know how to find her. Barely able to contain his excitement, Alex ran barefoot down the stairs again, ignored puzzles looks from the others, dashed to Meredith's car, turned to key in the ignition and fired up the engine, not caring that it was four in the morning and the noise was waking the neighbours. Only fixated on the idea that he might finally find Ava. Finally.

He drove recklessly, not pulling over for turning cars, just tracing the familiar path to the hospital that he knew so well. Intent of the road in front of him. Which was why he didn't see the truck on his immediate left, until it was too late. For anything.


	3. Chapter 3

'We got a John Doe here, looks about twenty-five, suspected head trauma and minimal fracture to the left wrist, as well as cuts on the left forearm…' What looked like the ER swam in and out of focus, people leant over him and he closed his eyes as his surroundings swayed sickeningly.

'…I told you, that's not a John Doe, that's Alex Karev…' Black spots obscured his vision, and he dimly heard someone counting to three before he was lifted and dropped, pain shooting through his wrist as it flopped against the table.

'For heaven's sake…more _careful_…Torres.' Alex's eyes, tried to open. Callie was here?' He closed his eyes on the babble, dimly aware of the past half-hour and what it meant. Voices rose and fell around him, fading into insignificance in the now more urgent problem of his throbbing wrist. But even as he tired to concentrate on forming words, the pain seemed to fade.

'Karev? Can you hear me?' One voice rose out of the babble, more insistent and urgent than the others.

'Ch-chief?' Alex tried to form the word, but couldn't. His eyes drifted closed again…

'Alex? Oh God, Alex, please, be alright. Alex, please…'

'Izzie?' Most of his pain had receded and the uproar had ceased. His head felt clearer, his wrist pain had faded to a dull ache and he could open his eyes.

'Izzie? What are you doing here?'

'You crashed Meredith's car! What were you doing trying to get to the hospital anyway? Your shift ended over twelve hours ago!'

'My shift…_twelve _hours…Meredith's car? Damnit!'

'Which she is going to kill you for, by the way.'

'Hello, Dr Karev, Stevens. How are you feeling this morning?'

'Dr Burke. Morning?' Alex struggled to catch up with time.

'Yes, it is just passed ten o'clock. Stevens has been here since five. That's one good friend you've got there, Karev. How are you feeling? Your head trauma was very slight, just a couple of pieces of glass in your temple, we took those out and stitched them up, just a few scars left. Your wrist is fractured, not broken, Dr Torres says maximum three weeks in that cast, and only one in the sling. Any questions? You should be out of here tonight.' Alex shook his head, and Burke left the room, taking Izzie with him.

Now that Alex had caught up with the night's events, it set him thinking. Hard. How could he have been so stupid? Dreaming about Ava, not noticing the roads, at night. And there was something important, he couldn't seem to remember…of course! The hospital records, but he couldn't just rifle through them while he was a patient, but there didn't seem to be too much wrong with him. He suddenly realised that he recognised the room he was in…it couldn't be 2115, could it? He leant over, nearly toppling out of bed in the process, until he caught sight of the gleaming silver digits on the door.

'Hey!' Meredith appeared in the doorway, holding coffee in one hand, and Izzie in the other. 'Feeling better? Burke says you can be out by the end of today.'

'Yeah, that's…that's pretty great.'

'Great, well, I have to go, nursing home is still calling me about my mother. Her estate, or something. Been nearly a year, thought that would have ended when she died. And, by the way, I'm fine.'

'So,' Izzie came towards him, smiling and offering him the coffee, 'you really are feeling fine?'

'Yeah, I guess uh…yeah.' She sat down next to his bed and took his uninjured hand in hers. It was warm, and welcome and Alex didn't quite know what to do. She laid her head on his shoulder.

'God…we were all so worried, I mean Meredith kept saying she wasn't and it was fine, and then Christina said you were an ass and it didn't matter if you died anyway…'

She was doing that thing where she was nervous and pretending not to be, so she talked and talked to cover it up. God, it was so cute. Alex remembered it from the time he had kissed her in the bar, just walked up and put both hands on her face, and leant over her, a slight smile on his face and a look o f utter bewilderment on hers, and pressed his mouth to hers, tongue tracing her lips and hands sliding through her hair…

'…and then George said he wanted to go see you but Callie was on the floor, and I can't believe she's still refusing to speak to him, I mean, their marriage was a bad idea to begin with, and then I said I was going anyway, and I dragged Meredith with me, who wasn't too happy, by the way, but –'

He silenced her with a kiss. He was leaning over the side of his bed, and Izzie opened her mouth to take in his tongue, and both her hands slid through his hair, fingers tracing the small scars from the stitches on his temple. His good hand slipped onto her shoulder, stroking the skin under her shirt, sliding to the bra strap and tugging on it slightly. She let her hands drift down his back, hanging onto his waist as she sucked on his bottom lip, letting her tongue explore his mouth.

He broke it off first, and Izzie looked at him, mildly dazed, confusion in her blue-brown eyes.

'I – I didn't know you still thought of me like that…' Alex had a slight sense of déjà vu at that moment. Last year, when they had been treating the pec-implant patient with the third-person fetish, they had been joking in the stairwells when he had suddenly spun her around and kissed her. But…

'…and this time, I feel that way about you too. Oh, Alex…' She leant in again, but Alex took her hands, and put them back in her lap.

'I…can't.' As soon as he finished speaking, he realised how stupid it must have sounded because he just had. Izzie got up, threw him a puzzled look and walked out of the room.

He wished he could tell her not to take it personally. It wasn't her, it was about him and his unbelievably stupid decision regarding Ava. That, and the fact that he was still in love with Ava, and couldn't quite extinguish his own feelings for Izzie either. The two emotions were so tightly wrought together that he couldn't separate one from the other for long enough to figure out what it was he actually wanted. He caught sight of Meredith's ponytail passing his door, and called out.

'What?' she demanded.

'I need a favour. Please?' He explained, and her face grew more and more disbelieving as he went on.

'The records file. You? Are you insane. You know, do they have you on too much morphine or something, because I swear…fine. You better love me for this.' He climbed into the wheelchair by his bed, and tried not to look guilty as he was wheeled passed the nurses' station. The door closed shut with a snap. He quickly rifled through the files, until he found O – R. Picking up the manila folder, he balanced it on his knees, hiding it under blankets as he clambered back into the chair.

In the bathroom, he locked the door, sat down and began to flick through. His injured wrist slowed him down, but he kept at it, persistent, determined, desperate to find her. O…Patterson…Peters…Phillips…Pope! He almost cried out loud when he found it, and eased it out of its folder.

Name: Rebecca Pope…Age…Significant Other…Children…Address…

Hastily, he copied it all down, and then opened the door a fraction and shoved the folder back at Meredith.

'You owe me,' she hissed, but obediently took it and disappeared down the hall. Alex had everything he needed. All he had to do was wait until whichever intern was on discharge came to kick him out, and then he would get in Izzie's car – he had wrecked Meredith's – and drive straight out to find Ava.


	4. Chapter 4

'Alex? What the hell are you doing here? Your arm! You can't be here, my husband –' He silenced her by crossing the room in three quick strides and kissing her lips. She immediately caught on, and put both hands tenderly on his cheeks and kissed him back with everything they had been struggling to hold back since he had pulled her out from under the pylon that had so nearly claimed her life. He wrapped both arms around her tightly, hanging on, like he should have all those weeks ago when she had begged him to give her a reason to stay. As he did so, she tensed slightly and there was a sharp intake of breath. He sucked on her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to let him slip his tongue inside, exploring her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed as his hands dropped to her hips, fingers digging in slightly. She intensified the kiss, mouth hot and wet as her lips travelled up his jaw, towards his ear. His head fell back slightly, and he slipped his hands up inside her shirt, stroking gently until they travelled up to rest lightly on her breasts. His mouth found hers again, and he increased the pressure on her breasts, until –

'Ah!' she gasped, 'Sorry, Alex, I –'

'What? What is it? Are you hurt?'

Now it was her turn to seal his lips with a hot, open-mouthed kiss. Alex's hands continued to roam, finding the hem of her shirt, pulling it upwards, over her head, her graceful arms falling back to rest over his shoulders. Ava fell back against the wall, Alex trailed kisses down her chin, opening his eyes to take in her beauty, dropping his mouth to her chest…

'Ava! What the…' Purple and blue bruises covered her chest and abdomen, and a huge black splodge obscured her left hip.

'Paul! Is Paul doing this to you?' Alex stared in open-mouthed disbelief at the blemishes covering her small, fragile body.

For the first time in his life, Alex Karev felt a sense of…he couldn't quite explain it, not even to himself. He felt…he felt responsible. Like it was his fault she had been beaten up because he hadn't told her he loved her the night of Christina's wedding. Because he hadn't taken her, held her, kissed her, never let go. And then he felt an undeniable sense of protection. Like it was his duty to keep her away from harm. Perhaps this stemmed from his days as her doctor, perhaps it was just because he loved her. Like he had failed her, and let her into harm's way. And he felt anger, a rage coursing through his body at the man that dared lay a hand on her. She was beautiful, and she was wonderful, and deserved all the good things in the world to happen to her. His hand shook slightly out of anger as he tenderly put two fingers to her hip.

'How could you let him? Why didn't you go?' Her eyes pleaded with him.

'Alex…it's complicated.'

'How can it be complicated? The man hits you, you leave him. Ava…' His voice trailed off again as he laid his cool hand against the largest purple mark spreading over her chest, shaking his head.

'Ava, how could you let him? Look at this, the guy's obviously nuts. You can't stay here.'

'I can't leave! Alex, he looked for me when I was gone, he recognised me, he's in love with my baby girl, I…I can't.' Alex took a deep breath, steadying himself against the wall with one hand while the other pulled her into a hug, gently, consciously avoiding bumping her reasonably extensive injuries. She laid her head on his chest, her own shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back tears.

'He's going to kill you, you can't just stay here. I won't let you.' She pulled away now, anger now apparent on her delicate features.

'Oh, you won't _let _me? You won't _let_ me? Since when are you in charge of me? You're not my doctor, you're not even my boyfriend!'

'I just…Ava –'

'My name is not Ava! You made it up! I'm Rebecca! Leave me alone Alex! I asked you to give me a reason to stay and you bailed, and now –'

'And now I'm here! With my arm in plaster, which I fractured while I was trying to get to the hospital to look up the records to find your address so I could come and find you, and…' It took a huge amount of effort to say that many words that quickly, and while he took a breath, Ava took his good hand, and squeezed it in between both of hers, warm and safe.

'Look, thank you for finding me, thank you very much for kissing me, but I can't leave. And now you have to go.'

'I'm not leaving you here to be killed by your own husband! Why can't you understand this? It's not healthy, it's not right and it's not going to happen again!'

'Alex…leave.'

This time she said it slowly and carefully, and Alex couldn't handle it anymore. He sighed, and handed her back her shirt. She twisted it between her hands, but didn't move to pull it over her head. At that moment, the door opened and a voice yelled,

'Rebecca! Where the hell is –' And then Paul stopped short at the sight that he saw. Ava, her shirt in one hand and the other unsuccessfully covering the purple bruise splashed across her chest, hair messed up as if someone had been running their fingers through it in passion not too long ago; and Alex, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, a slight expression of disbelief still etched across his face.

'Rebecca! How could you – you son of a bitch!' The last five words were directed at Alex, who managed to duck just in time as a fist came hurtling towards his face. It slammed with impressive force into the wall behind him and the plaster splintered under his fist. He gasped and pulled his hand back, angry red patches appearing on his knuckles.

'Alex, go!' Ava just shook her head at him. As Paul's eyes were popping as he aimed another blow straight at Alex's nose, he ran and slammed the door, hearing the other fist crash into the other side of it, wood cracking under the blow and a bellowed curse. Alex pulled out his phone as the door flew open, revealing a livid Paul, who dived across the lawn to catch Alex, who was in Izzie's car before he could reach him and drove out of the driveway. His finger was still on the second 9 of the emergency number, but he had to concentrate his good hand on his driving, and the cell clattered to the floor as he screeched out of their driveway.

The whole way back to Seattle, he tried to realise what he had done. He had left Ava, the woman he loved, to the mercy of the irate man who was supposed to love her. Mentally, he was ready to kill himself for what he had done. Collapsing in his bedroom several hours later, he pulled out his phone again and dialled 911. He sent the police to the address he had found in the medical records. Half an hour later, they called him back saying that all they had found was a smashed window.


	5. Chapter 5

'Alex? What the hell are you doing here? Your arm! You can't be here, my husband –' He silence her by crossing the room in three quick strides and kissing her lips. She immediately caught on, and put both hands tenderly on his cheeks and kissed him back with everything they had been struggling to hold back since he had pulled her out from under the pylon that had so nearly claimed her life. He wrapped both arms around her tightly, hanging on, like he should have all those weeks ago when she had begged him to give her a reason to stay. As he did so, she tensed slightly and there was a sharp intake of breath. He sucked on her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to let him slip his tongue inside, exploring her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed as his hands dropped to her hips, fingers digging in slightly. She intensified the kiss, mouth hot and wet as her lips travelled up his jaw, towards his ear. His head fell back slightly, and he slipped his hands up inside her shirt, stroking gently until they travelled up to rest lightly on her breasts. His mouth found hers again, and he increased the pressure on her breasts, until –

'Ah!' she gasped, 'Sorry, Alex, I –'

'What? What is it? Are you hurt?'

Now it was her turn to seal his lips with a hot, open-mouthed kiss. Alex's hands continued to roam, finding the hem of her shirt, pulling it upwards, over her head, her graceful arms falling back to rest over his shoulders. Ava fell back against the wall, Alex trailed kisses down her chin, opening his eyes to take in her beauty, dropping his mouth to her chest…

'Ava! What the…' Purple and blue bruises covered her chest and abdomen, and a huge black splodge obscured her left hip.

'Paul! Is Paul doing this to you?' Alex stared in open-mouthed disbelief at the blemishes covering her small, fragile body.

For the first time in his life, Alex Karev felt a sense of…he couldn't quite explain it, not even to himself. He felt…he felt responsible. Like it was his fault she had been beaten up because he hadn't told her he loved her the night of Christina's wedding. Because he hadn't taken her, held her, kissed her, never let go. And then he felt an undeniable sense of protection. Like it was his duty to keep her away from harm. Perhaps this stemmed from his days as her doctor, perhaps it was just because he loved her. Like he had failed her, and let her into harm's way. And he felt anger, a rage coursing through his body at the man that dared lay a hand on her. She was beautiful, and she was wonderful, and deserved all the good things in the world to happen to her. His hand shook slightly out of anger as he tenderly put two fingers to her hip.

'How could you let him? Why didn't you go?' Her eyes pleaded with him.

'Alex…it's complicated.'

'How can it be complicated? The man hits you, you leave him. Ava…' His voice trailed off again as he laid his cool hand against the largest purple mark spreading over her chest, shaking his head.

'Ava, how could you let him? Look at this, the guy's obviously nuts. You can't stay here.'

'I can't leave! Alex, he looked for me when I was gone, he recognised me, he's in love with my baby girl, I…I can't.' Alex took a deep breath, steadying himself against the wall with one hand while the other pulled her into a hug, gently, consciously avoiding bumping her reasonably extensive injuries. She laid her head on his chest, her own shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back tears.

'He's going to kill you, you can't just stay here. I won't let you.' She pulled away now, anger now apparent on her delicate features.

'Oh, you won't _let _me? You won't _let_ me? Since when are you in charge of me? You're not my doctor, you're not even my boyfriend!'

'I just…Ava –'

'My name is not Ava! You made it up! I'm Rebecca! Leave me alone Alex! I asked you to give me a reason to stay and you bailed, and now –'

'And now I'm here! With my arm in plaster, which I fractured while I was trying to get to the hospital to look up the records to find your address so I could come and find you, and…' This took a huge amount of effort to say that many words that quickly, and while he took a breath, Ava took his good hand, and squeezed it in between both of hers, warm and safe.

'Look, thankyou for finding me, thankyou for kissing me, but I can't leave. And now you have to go.'

'I'm not leaving you here to be killed by your own husband! Why can't you understand this? It's not healthy, it's not right and it's not going to happen again!'

'Alex…leave.'

This time she said it slowly and carefully, and Alex couldn't handle it anymore. He sighed, and handed her back her shirt. She twisted it between her hands, but didn't move to pull it over her head. At that moment, the door opened and a voice yelled,

'Rebecca! Where the hell is –' And then Paul stopped short at the sight that he saw. Ava, her shirt in one hand and the other unsuccessfully covering the purple bruise splashed across her chest, hair messed up as if someone had been running their fingers through it in passion not too long ago; and Alex, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, a slight expression of disbelief still etched across his face.

'Rebecca! How could you – you son of a bitch!' The last five words were directed at Alex, who managed to duck just in time as a fist came hurtling towards his face. It slammed with impressive force into the wall behind him and the plaster splintered under his fist. He gasped and pulled his hand back, angry red patches appearing on his knuckles.

'Alex, go!' Ava just shook her head at him. As Paul's eyes were popping as he aimed another blow straight at Alex's nose, he ran and slammed the door, hearing the other fist crash into the other side of it, wood cracking under the blow and a bellowed curse. Alex pulled out his phone as the door flew open, revealing a livid Paul, who dived across the lawn to catch Alex, who was in Izzie's car before he could reach him and drove out of the driveway. His finger was still on the second 9 of the emergency number, but he had to concentrate his good hand on his driving, and the cell clattered to the floor as he screeched out of their driveway.

The whole way back to Seattle, he tried to realise what he had done. He had left Ava, the woman he loved, to the mercy of the irate man who was supposed to love her. Mentally, he was ready to kill himself for what he had done. Collapsing in his bedroom several hours later, he pulled out his phone again and dialled 911. He sent the police to the address he had found in the medical records. Half an hour later, they called him back saying that all they had found was a smashed window.


	6. Chapter 6

'Who's presenting?' Bailey turned, snapping at her ex-interns. Everyone turned, and Alex felt Meredith's fingers digging into his arm.

'Ah…ah…Rebecca Pope, twenty-four, one day post-sutras for head trauma and minimal cuts to the lower left and right arms. Temperature down after a rise during rounds, back under control and patient in a stable condition.'

'Thankyou…finally…recommendations? Interns?'

'Perform initial exam and monitor throughout the day,' Lexie volunteered, looking at the floor.

'Thankyou. Karev, do the exam, the rest of you, follow your residents. Out! Now!' Izzie lingered in the doorway for a moment longer, eyeing Alex nervously.

'Why didn't you tell me? You were standing right next to me, you could've told me.'

Izzie just shook her head and left the room. Ava looked up at him from her bed.

'What was all that about?' Alex just shook his head, and slowly walked to her side, picked up her hand, and squeezed it. She wrapped both her little hands around both of his hands, and stroked them, silently pleading with him.

'You can't tell them, Alex, you can't…' He frowned, and then realisation crossed his face.

'You mean, you want me to walk back out there, tell everyone that there was nothing abnormal in the exam, and let them let you go? Back to the man who hits you like there's no tomorrow?' Alex dropped her hand, and paced across in front of her bed, voice rising as he became more and more affected by the situation.

'Just stroll out of here, like there's nothing the matter, let you go home to that man who's gonna beat you again and again, and you'll just end up back here. I can't. But I have to do the exam.' Alex shook his head, and walked back over to the bed. His fingers slowly lifted the hospital gown, up her stomach and it came to rest just under her breasts. As the first time he had seen it; the dark hues splattered across her belly, hips darkened with the massive black bruise that looked the newest shocked him into silence.

He didn't understand why she didn't understand that she deserved better, why she couldn't just get that it was wrong to let this be done to you. His hands pressed down across her stomach, examining for internal bleeds. As they moved across her skin, Ava sucked in her breath sharply, pain in her eyes. Alex's fingers crossed the tender skin, and she let out a gasp and laid her hands over his, pulling them away from her body. Alex looked up.

'I love you,' she said.

Simply.

Just like that.

'I love you, too.'

The words were out of Alex's mouth in a flash, before he had thought that he was going to say them. And now he had.

'Really?' A shadow of a smile crossed her face, but then her eyes turned to sadness.

'If you love me, Alex, you just have to let me go back.'

'Promise me you'll leave him.'

'I can't.' She stared at him defiantly from her bed. God, she looked sexy when she was angry, hair falling down on one side, hands clenched into fists on top of covers. He left the room without a word then, and slammed the door of the supply closet behind him. He needed to think.

The way he saw it, there was only one thing he could do. He had to tell Dr Shepherd that there was an abnormality with the exam, and when he went in to examine her, social services would be involved and they would make sure that the creep was never let near her again. It was the only thing he could do. He had left her to the violence of Paul once, and he was not about to let it happen again. Not on his watch. He would rather that Ava hated him for the rest of their lives than let her end up dead because he had covered up for her. Choice made, he flung open the door.

'Dr Shepherd, there was a slight…irregularity…with the exam. I think –'

'What is it, Karev?'

'Sir, I think you want to see this.'

--

'You _told _them? Alex, how could you?' His voice shook slightly with the news.

'The police haven't found Paul, and physce are sending someone down for a consult. You can still leave, as soon as your injuries are cleared up, and go home.' Ava turned her face to the pillow, hot tears sliding down her cheeks and soaking the white fabric. Her shoulders shook, and she put up a hand to swipe away some of the tears. Alex came and stood next to her bed, and knelt down. He put two fingers under her chin, and ever so lightly kissed her lips. Using his thumb, he wiped away the tears and stroked her hair with the other hand. With his eyes, he tried to tell her everything would be alright. She lifted her hands and put them around his shoulders. He stood up, and she put her head on his chest, his arms around her waist as she sat on the bed. He put his lips to her hair.

Although of course everything was not alright. Not in the least.

'Karev?' They both looked up, Dr Shepherd standing in the doorway.

'Outside?' he motioned. She let go of him, and he squeezed her hand and he took his arms from around his waist.

'With a _patient_?' asked the Chief, incredulously. Dr Shepherd nodded, and left the room.

'Would you care to explain yourself?'

'Sir, she was upset. Told her she had a physce consult and she didn't take it too well.'

'You are her doctor, Karev, not her husband. Incidentally, I believe she has her own husband? Paul?' He flicked through her file, looking up at Alex.

'Do _not_ even tell me that I have another Denny Duquette situation on my hands here.'

'No sir, it's just that I know her. She's been here before, I was her doctor and…'

'Exactly, her doctor, Karev, her _doctor_. You need to back away, leave her alone. One more time, and the consequences will be severe. You know perfectly well what happened to Stevens. Probation, suspension, being kicked out of the program are all possibilities…' Chief Webber dropped his head to his hands, '…just leave her.'

'Yes, sir.'

--

'The Chief said…' Alex's face fell in dismay as he surveyed the empty room. Once again, he had let her go.

'Where's Ava?' he demanded of a harried-looking Lexie, who was passing the doorway.

'Oh, George discharged her about ten minutes ago, I think,' she seemed surprised at his abruptness and panic.

'Right.' Alex dashed out, down the hallway, into the elevator, out the doors, into the carpark. A fine drizzle was beginning to fall and a slow mist began to cover Seattle Grace. He strained his eyes into the darkness, but he couldn't see a single thing. He turned back to the doorway, and saw Izzie with folded arms, watching him.

'I'm sorry,' he said to her, as he reached the doorway.

'What for? Kissing me, and then telling me that you hadn't? I get it. It's Ava, isn't it? Married Ava?' Alex swallowed, measuring out his next words.

'When you slept with George, did you think about Callie? You didn't, did you? All you thought about were you and George, and how good the all the _sex_ was, and how he was making you_ orgasm_, and what his _hands_ were doing –' Alex was growing slightly hysterical now.

'Alex!' She fidgeted, hands twisting.

'Sorry. Point is, you love him, right? And he loved you, and he'd go back and kiss Callie to try and pretend, but it didn't work. He just wanted you, and I want Ava.'

'Wow…Alex…nobody else gets it like that. You should go, go…get her. You should.'

But on the way home, he thought about what she had said to him. _If you love me, Alex, you just have to let me go back_. And so he had. Trying to prove that he loved her. Letting her leave Seattle. Leave him. Again. At least she wasn't going back to Paul, not really. He wasn't there anymore. Ava could pick up her baby from the neighbour and live there without Paul, and her bruises would heal and her baby would grow up…and Alex would never see her again.

What was the right answer?

Was there a right answer?

Right now, at this moment, staring straight into the darkness, Alex honestly had absolutely no idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Please tell me you have something good.' Alex turned and found Christina waiting for results near the window.

'Yeah, actually, three guys bungee jumping. One of them got the rope twisted around his leg, one of them broke his arm hitting the ground and the other punctured an ear-drum, or something, falling too fast.'

'I want in! Karev –'

'Go get your own. Where are your interns, anyway?'

'One and two went to get blood from some physco and three went to the clinic to help Bailey.

'And where's four?'

'Crap.' Christina disappeared. She got halfway down the hall before she shook her head, turned on her heel, sprinted back, picked up her results and then ran down the hallway after the intern she had named 'four'.

'Oi! Karev!' His results were ready. He snatched them up, and then turned, threw them onto the nurse's station counter. Ever since Ava had left the hospital a week ago, he had been acting like nothing had happened. Only Izzie seemed to eye him with a certain apprehension, as if she had no idea what he was about to do. He may as well face it, Ava wasn't coming back. She had begged him to give her a reason to stay, and he had left. Then he had found her, and left her again. And _then_ she had walked, or rather, been rolled on a gurney, back into his life, and now she had gone. _Again_. He may as well just get on with his life…

--

Izzie slammed the door of the on-call room. She stood facing him, hands on hips.

'Alex, what is it?'

'I'm getting on with my life.' He stepped towards her, took her face in his hands and crushed his lips to hers, moving his hands to her hair, teasing it as his fingers ran through it. She took a step forwards, forcing his feet backwards as her hands scrabbled with the ties of his scrubs. Izzie put both hands on the muscles of his chest, pushed him down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, knees on either side of his hips. Hands flew everywhere, ripping off clothes. His hands roamed everywhere, exploring the body that he knew so well. He dropped her lips to her shoulder…

'Wait, wait…Alex, _wait!_' she yelled, pulling his hands out from under her shirt.

'Wait. You're not over Ava…you weren't last week, and you aren't now. You can't –'

'Izzie…come on,' he murmured in her ear, finding her breasts with his hands, lips to her neck.

'No,' she swatted him away. He continued to touch her breasts, breathing near her ear.

'Stop it! I can't think with you _doing_ that! Alex, you just want to sleep with me to get yourself over her!' Alex took rolled to the side, and stood up off the bed, taking a step back.

'Oh my God, you are _such _an ass! I though you liked me…I thought…' Izzie trailed off as she took her arm off him, covering herself as she angrily pulled her clothes back on. She flung herself out the door, slamming it behind her. Alex looked down. She was right. She had every right to be angry with him. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't to move on with his life; that sounded ridiculous now that he had said it in his head. It was to try and fake it to himself. He couldn't get over Ava, he loved her too much. He did – he loved her. He had known it all along, when she couldn't speak and he had understood what her eyes were saying, when he had named her Ava, and she had smiled at him, knowing it was right for her. Even she had known it, when she had asked him to give her a reason to stay…all along. Every moment, there had been a clue. And he had missed them all. Until recently. He shook his head, dressing himself slowly. He found Izzie's bra, lying on top of his scrubs. He wasn't about to let what had happened to Meredith and Derek happen to him. He left it under the bed, making a mental note to tell her to grab it. And then he walked back out onto the floor.

'There you are Karev! Where the hell've you…never mind. Incoming traumas, go!' Alex sprinted down to the trauma bay. There were five gurneys down there. He heard yells about a seven-car pile-up on the freeway. The first man was dead before he reached him. He dimly heard Meredith call time of death before he moved to the second one. The girl, who couldn't be older than late teens was gasping for air, her leg bleeding profusely. George was there, trying to stop the bleeding, while cleaned the blood off her face while yelling to Olivia to take her up to CT. Then the stretched was gone.

The third man's leg was severed just above the ankle. He sent Lexie in search of the man's foot, telling her to ask the search-and-rescue worker. The fourth was a little girl. Terrible burns covered three quarters of her face. Alex guessed that the airbags had gone off in the car as the driver had swerved. He paged Dr Sloan, and then turned to Bailey, who was busy with the fifth victim, who was bleeding from his abdomen.

'Take the girl with you to Trauma Room Two. Go!'

He simply couldn't concentrate. It was Ava. Again. Obviously. It wasn't just an attraction. He felt like her baby was his, he felt he needed her; like oxygen. He felt as if he hadn't seen her in an age; every day of his life for all those months when she was in the hospital, he took it for granted that she'd be there. And how she wasn't, she was gone.

--

On the way home, in the passenger seat of Meredith's car, he thought about the little girl with the burns. The first man, the one that Meredith had called time of the death on, that was her father. He had heard Dr Burke tell one of the scrub nurses. She had no father now, just like Ava's little baby. The one he had seen delivered, the one he and Addison had cared for all the time Ava was recovering. He stumbled, exhausted, into the house after Meredith. But when he got to his room, he took off his shirt, and suddenly felt wide awake. His life was just so incomplete. Saving lives wasn't all he needed to do. He needed –

'Alex!' George's voice floated from the staircase, 'Get down here!' Sighing, he threw open his door and went down the stairs.

'Door for you.' He went over to the door, and pulled it open.

There stood a beautiful woman, a baby in her arms.


	8. Chapter 8

She was dripping wet from the typical Seattle weather. 'There's something I have to tell you.' Alex paced in the living room, thanking the heavens that Meredith and George had gone to bed already. He couldn't quite take his eyes from the cut across Ava's forehead, fresh and gritty. The blood was gone, but it still looked as if it had been incredibly painful.

'First, I'm sorry, I –' Tears started in Ava's warm, brown eyes as she shook her head.

'Alex, it's not your fault.'

'Yes – yes it is. _I_ told you to stay with the decent guy, I was the one who didn't give you a reason to stay when you begged me to – it was me. I though he was the good guy, I sent you back to him.' Despite his anxiety, he couldn't help noticing that her shit was clinging to her body, breasts defined through the fabric.

'Alex! I don't know who drilled it into your head that you aren't a decent guy, but maybe it's time to slow down long enough to realise that they were wrong. You are a _good_ guy. And I love you, and none of this is your fault.' She touched her fingers to the scar on her head as she spoke.

'Then what…'

'I was at home, with my baby – and he just appeared. He was here, and all I can remember is him scrambling around the house…grabbing his stuff, and then on the way out…I didn't even see it coming! But then once he was gone and I came to…I just couldn't stay there. Not with…' Ava placed the baby in the carrier down near the couch.

'She'll just fall asleep there,' she added, as an afterthought.

'So…I came back to you, you're the only person that I – I just wanted to feel safe. And you make me feel safe, Alex.'

She took a step towards him, and he put both arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a warm, comforting hug. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but he didn't know quite how to say it. She reached up a hand and put it on his cheek. Alex closed his eyes, and noticed the absence of the wedding ring on her finger as Ava pressed her warm hand against his face. He tilted his head back slightly, not exactly sure how things stood between them. Confusion in her eyes, she looked up at him, as if waiting for confirmation. One of them had to make the first move, and he decided that it was going to be him. For once.

Alex took a slow step forward, so that their bodies were pressed together. He reached out a hand to grip her waist, her soft breasts brushing up against his bare chest through her soaking shirt. He couldn't believe how much she affected him, and how fast. Her soft breath swept across his neck, and he could already feel the effects of being so near her in his jeans. He slid his second hand down to the back of her thighs, pulling her still closer until neither of them could take it anymore.

Ava pulled her face towards his, and at the same time his hands found her breasts. Her mouth fell open in a passionate groan from the sensation, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, exploring her lips. The two of them kissed lovingly, Alex's hands running through her hair, teasing it into tangles. She stumbled backwards, falling back against the wall, growing breathless and Alex's hands played with the buttons on her shirt; tugging and twisting. Her hands strayed to the waistband of his jeans. Once he had dealt with her shirt, peeling it off her dripping skin, glad that almost none of the technicolour bruising remained on her delicate skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her up the stairs and to his bedroom kicking the door shut behind him.

She put both her warm hands on his muscled chest and pushed him back, onto his bed, and then straddled him, settling herself across his pelvis. He put his hands to her jeans, unzipping them, sliding them off over her legs. Dropping her lips to his shoulder, he busied his hands with her bra, struggling with the clasp, pulling it away from her body, moving his mouth to her breasts.

'Alex?' Shit! Meredith was tapping lightly on his door. Ava gasped in surprise, lifting her head. Without moving his head he raised his voice,

'Not now!' Thankfully, she got the hint, probably helped along by the fact that he had chosen that moment to accidentally moan as Ava's hands found the sensitive spot behind his ear.

'OK.'

'Sorry about that,' he lifted his eyes back to her beautiful face...

It was the best sex Alex had ever had in his life. Not even the passionate encounter he had had with Izzie in the closet the day of the bomb at Seattle Grace even came close. And he knew why it was too. In all the movies, all the love stories...it was because he was in love. Truly, undoubtedly, head-over-heels in love.

'Hey,' Ava whispered to him, opening her eyes.

'Hey.' They lay, their bodies almost touching, arms around each other. Alex caught sight of the clock over her head.

'Oh, man, I've got to get to the hospital.' She smiled her half-smile.

'Really?'

'No,' Alex amended, 'I have to get to the hospital _soon_.' She smiled again, and they lay still in each other's arms. He wondered about what she had been through, first with her memory, then her baby being sick, and then everything with Paul. A though struck him.

'Ava?'

'Mm?'

'What have you named your baby girl?' There was a slight pause.

'I haven't,' she said quietly, staring at Alex's chest, 'I just couldn't think of...' She trailed off, but Alex thought he understood.

'Would you like some help?' he asked, kissing her on the forehead, next to the cut.

'Yes,' she whispered, looking into his eyes.

'OK.'


End file.
